The Apify CLI is installed to allow agents to interact with Apify from the command line. Chrome DevTools are installed as part of the setup to aid in the "vibe coding" process, specifically when inspecting how a website works to extract data.
The Apify Actorization Challenge is a competition where participants can create their own web data crawlers. By using the presenter's link to sign up for the challenge, participants gain access to the presenter's markdown files, which serve as a template to help them build their data crawlers. Additionally, the presenter mentions they will be a judge for the challenge.
This video demonstrates how to use AI tools, specifically Apify and Codex (or Claude Code), to "vibe code" a web application that can extract data from any website. The presenter, Mike, uses the Komoot website as an example to build an "actor" on Apify that crawls and organizes hiking trail data. He explains the process from identifying a need (gathering Komoot data for a trip to Cyprus) to overcoming API limitations, using Apify's platform, and then building a front-end application that utilizes the created Apify actor. The video also highlights the Apify $1 Million Challenge for creating web data crawlers.
The AI (Codex/Claude Code) inspects websites by automating the control of the browser, similar to how a human would navigate and interact with a site. It uses Chrome DevTools to analyze the website's structure and identify the easiest way to extract data. This includes investigating API requests and understanding the website's internal workings, tasks that would typically require significant manual effort. The AI essentially uses DevTools as a tool to learn how the website functions so it can systematically gather the desired information.
The Apify actor can be made profitable by enabling monetization within its settings, specifically by selecting "pay per event." To publish the actor to the Apify store, the following steps are involved: